I found this Dr. Weil on the net. He's the bald guy with the big white beard that looks like santa.
He's been on all the talk shows and seems to know what he's talking about.
Does anyone out there have an opinion of him or his recommendations?
He says:
Drink dandelion-root tea as often as you like.
Says you can find it in health food stores and that it is good for the liver.
Says take extracts of the seeds of milk thistle ( silybum marianum ) .
This herbal remedy is nontoxic, and European research shows that it stimulates regeneration of liver cells and protects them from toxic injury.
You may find it under the names milk thistle, silybum, or silymarin.
Take two capsules two or three times a day until liver function returns to normal.
Together with milk thistle take schizandra berries, the fruits of a Chinese medicinal plant ( schisandra chinenis; ).
The dried berries look like peppercorns and have a fruity peppery taste.
You can eat them whole or make them into a tea.
Two teaspoons of berries to a quart of cold water , bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, simmer twenty to thirty minutes.
Strain and drink throughout the day.
Schizandra berries promote healing of the liver especially with hepatitis.
I have not tried this yet, I was wondering if anyone out there has tried this, and if so any success?
I am not endorsing this I just found it on Dr. Andrew weil's web site and am passing it along.
I hope thanbey will comment on this one.
GOB BLESS YOU AND YOURS, PRAY, PRAY, AND PRAY SOME MORE.
GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY.

[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 11-18-2001).]

For information on alternatives, I rely heavily on a contributor to this board named sean.

Look for messages by sean. I know hw has commented on supplements and doseages.

Milk thistle has been studied. It has been shown to be beneficial in some instances. For Hepatitis C, the data is inconclusive other than to say that it does no harm (except act as a laxative if you take too much)

I'm sorry I'm not more help on this topic.

I do have an National Institutes of Health Report on Alternative and Complimentary Medicine in Liver Disease on the website (www.hcop.org). Look for Articles for Professionals off the favorite links on the homepage.

thanbey

------------------
hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)

info@hcop.org.

Hi--

hadn't seen the msg., but thanbey called it to my attention. i'll try not to ruin her kind reference to me with too many stupid comments. so, to keep to the basics:

silymarin has inded been much studied, seems to offer little or virtually no negative side effects except occasional g.i. distress. it defnitely has shown good results in severl liver condietions in man or rat, but of all these results, the hep c studies are the least conclusive. shoot. there are a couple of studies of silymarin and hep c withpositive results, and a couple with zero effect results.
nothing, at least, has been found harmful in taking it, and some hope that it may help a bit. i take it, in about the quantities you mention (adding up to almost a gram a day of thistle--about 80%active silymarin).

schisandra and dandelion root both have active antioxidant effects. i know they have been recommended for hep or other liver conditions, but can't say they've been studies very extensively, so i do NOT know the side effect or other downside story on these. i do not take 'em.

i think dr. weill is more sensible and low-key than many in the natural health area, but neither he (or of course me!(!!!!)should be taken at face value. explore, read, learn.

the alternatives i know of that seem to be good or at least okay for the liver, which have indeed been studied a bit, and which do not seem to show negative side effects are vit E, silymarin, and lecitihin. all these seem generally healthful, anyway, even if we didn't have the virus. so, no harm there, i believe.

beyond that, you have to, have to, do your research. there are definitely some things out there that can hurt you. my favorite example is selenium which is clearly of value in tiny quantities, but clearly harmful in large quantities. so read, study, read, study.

good luck!

I found this info while during a search a few weeks ago. My order of schizandra berries just came. They taste so foul. Has anyone else tried these?

Dr. Weil, if I recall, is the physican who treated Naomi Judd when she was taking interferon. I believe they have written a cook book together. I'm not sure if he was her liver doc but I know he designed her herb program.

He is pretty strict with diet and herbs so if you are a disciplined person, it will help.

I used all those the schiz berry, dandelion, etc for over a year. My viral load has remained the same and my enzymes lowered but I also stopped drinking. Its just really hard to say.

Just my two cents

Jeannie

Hi Sam--

Well, who knows? is the answer to many of these alternative medicine questions. But, in response to the earlier messages in this thread, I had gone back to look up what I could about dandelion and schizandra, and the results--of my search of the literature, and I certainly could have missed something--are pretty thin. There is a bit about both herbs being of some help in liver toxicology cases, but not much, and not very impressive evidence, either.

So, I'd stick with silymarin, although I don't think I'd send back the schizandra if it's already there and paid for. It's not one of the herbs like kava which has been found to actually HURT the liver.


This is of course the opinion of totally UNqualified me, not a doctor, as Dr. Weill is. But, as much as I always want to believe him, I think he sometimes gets out in front of the evidence. And in the case of the liver, this can be risky. Still, for each of us, we weigh the risks we do or do not want to run.

As always, just my opinion.


sean

Thanks for the info.

I've been taking Milk Thistle and dandelion. I'll probably continue with the dandelion unless I find some negative info about it. I eat fresj dandelions when they're in season anyway. So the supplement is just my winter stash I guess.

I threw the schizandra berries out. I didnt have the extract. I ordered the actual berries like Dr. Weil suggests and I made tea from them. Well those things are so full of sugar that it felt and tasted like I was drinking syrup.

You brought up a great point. Why isnt there more research regarding "medicinal" herbs? It's hard to find credible data anywhere. Websearches yield countless herbal suppliers and their take on the herbs but I can never find good, solid data about the majority of what I have heard to be beneficial. It just doesnt make much sense to me. I wish that some of these accounts would be either discredited or supported.

I've taken your advice on most of what I take as supplements. It's so frustrating for me to read new claims though. "Chinese herbs" and whatnot. I dont wanna waste my money and possibly health on it but at the same time I am wondering "hmm...what if"

[This message has been edited by Samwise2 (edited 01-23-2003).]